Reflections from Summer Camp

"Booger in my nose...when I sneeze 'ACHOO', out there it goes."

I've been sending messages back and forth all day with a friend I worked with at Seneca regarding a little shtick we did anytime we'd get hit in the mammaries (hard to believe that anyone can come up with a shtick about something like that - the implication is that the contact happened a lot, but it was summer camp, so who knows). We'd yell out "Nancy" (as in Reagan) anytime said contact occured, which lately I have not found as funny since our beloved Nance really is in the hospital.
But somehow thinking about:
-Nancy
-my friend and how when I met her she was losing about 10 pints of blood out her nose
-how when I first encountered a group of 40 people (with whom I'd spend nine solid weeks), none of them would speak to me because they thought I only spoke French
-late nights spent talking in a top bunk
-getting toothpaste squirted up my nose
-feeding pancakes to chipmunks
-watching skunks prowl around girls hill
-learning about what Lyme's Disease is
-covering for friends when they broke curfew
-chasing bats through the condo with brooms and buckets (cue Dwight Shrute)
-getting the call that a friend died
-being stopped TWICE by the Beaver Falls Police for "parking"
-trips to the Salvation Army
-the Chicago Concert at Star Lake
-Vision Quest
-dropping to my knees during a thunderstorm, completely in awe

I continue to be amazed that I pick up with these people, most of whom I have not seen in 10 years, right where we left off. And I wonder only for a moment how in the world we lived together for nine weeks and had less drama, less selfishness, less bitterness than any relationship that I have had since then. I only have to wonder for a moment because the reason is clear: relationships that are built on Christ and His sacrifice are longlasting. I completed a Bible study, "Becoming a Woman of Grace" last fall and at one point listed my "life giving friends." It was discouraging then that so few of my life giving friends are with me physically, but so encouraging that they are still such an important piece of who I am.
Most of you know that I am pursuing a move to Pennsylvania. It's been a long time coming (I first tried in 1998, thanks for nothing Grove City College). I don't want to move to join the union. I don't want to move to hear funny accents. I don't want to move to be close to the Steelers (although that is a big motivation, believe you me). But I want to be close to those I feel connected to. Join me in praying that God might guide me through His will for my life and that He might humble me to His service. Peace to you.

My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor. 12:9

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